Italian Grinder Lasagna Food

LASAGNA IMBOTITO

Steps:

• For the meat sauce: Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the garlic and sweat until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, mixing well. Add salt, pepper, basil flakes and parsley flakes and stir until well-combined. Simmer over a low flame while you cook the beef.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add ground beef and boil until cooked all the way through. Strain cooked beef and add to tomato sauce. Simmer for about 1 hour.
• For the sausage: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have a meat grinder assembled with the sausage attachment and hog casing.
• Combine the pork, beef, fennel seed, black pepper, red pepper, salt and oil in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly so that all the spices are evenly incorporated. Run the meat through the sausage grinder and into the casing, twisting into sausages. Place the cased sausages on a baking sheet. Poke the sausages a few times with a toothpick or fork to create small holes (this will prevent the casing from bursting during cooking). Bake, rotating once halfway through the cooking, about 24 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• For the meatballs: Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Combine the beef, breadcrumbs, Romano, parsley flakes, garlic, pine nuts, salt, pepper and egg in a medium bowl, being sure to mix well so that all the spices are evenly incorporated. Roll the meat into 3-ounce balls. Brown the meatballs on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let cool.
• For the filling: Assemble the meat grinder and have a bowl ready to catch the ground meat and cheese. Run 3 meatballs, 3 sausages, the prosciutto, soppressata and mozzarella cubes through the grinder and into the bowl. Mix well.
• Combine the ricotta, Romano, eggs, butter, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the ground meat and cheese mixture. Mix well.
• For the pasta dough: Heat a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Add a splash of oil.
• Fit a stand mixer with the dough hook, then generously oil the hook to prevent dough from sticking. Whisk the egg, milk, salt and 1 tablespoon water together in a mixing bowl. Pour egg and milk mixture into the stand mixer bowl and add half the flour. Beat the dough over medium-low speed until the flour begins to incorporate into the mixture. Gradually add the rest of the flour until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Once the dough is mixed, turn out onto a floured surface.
• Divide the dough into several portions. Using a pasta machine or pasta attachment for your stand mixer, sheet the dough: Begin with the machine on the thickest setting and run one of the dough pieces through. Gradually reduce the setting number until the dough has been sheeted through the lowest number. Using a pasta cutter, cut the dough into rectangular strips. Place cut strips onto a well-floured sheet pan or tray. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough.
• Carefully add the pasta sheets to the boiling water. Cook, stirring with a spatula to prevent the pieces from sticking together, about 2 minutes. Using a large wire strainer or slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked pasta to a parchment-lined tray or plate, being sure to use additional parchment sheets if layering the noodles. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and oil a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish.
• Gently drape the pasta sheets over the sides and corners of the dish, then fill in the bottom once the sides are covered (the finished lasagna will be fully wrapped in noodles). Add half the ricotta and meat filling, pressing it down into an even layer. Next, add a layer of meat sauce, putting just enough sauce to cover the ricotta and meat filling. Add another layer of noodles, this time only arranging them on top of the sauce and not draped over the sides. Add the remaining ricotta and meat filling and another layer of meat sauce. Carefully fold in the noodles that were draped over the sides and corners, then use more noodles to fill in any areas of the lasagna that are not covered.
• Cover lasagna in foil and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Cut and serve topped with a generous amount of meat sauce and fresh basil for garnish.

CLASSIC ITALIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bechamel sauce:
• In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.
• In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

CLASSIC ITALIAN LASAGNE

Steps:

• For the ragu, melt the butter in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat until foaming. Add the celery, carrot, onion, porcini, rosemary and some seasoning, and fry for 5 mins.
• Season the meat, add to the dish and cook for 5 mins until browned. Pour in the wine, add the tomatoes and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, put the lid on the dish and cook for 1hr 30 mins, removing the lid for the final 30 mins so the sauce can reduce. The meat should be tender but not too broken up, and the sauce should be thick. Taste for seasoning. You can cook it for longer if you have time - the flavour will only improve.
• For the béchamel sauce, pour the milk into a saucepan with the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, turn off the heat and set aside. In a heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat, then whisk in the flour and hot milk. Whisk vigorously until smooth, then cook for 10-15 mins until very thick. Remove the bay leaf and season, grating in nutmeg to taste. Stir in the parmesan and egg yolks, then set aside to cool.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Working in batches of three, plunge the pasta sheets into a pan of boiling salted water for 20 secs, just to soften, then immediately put in a bowl of ice-cold water.
• Rub oil onto the base and sides of a large baking dish. Put a layer of pasta on the base, then add a layer of ragu, followed by a layer of béchamel sauce. A good tip, for really defined layers, is to pipe the béchamel sauce over.
• Repeat this process until you have used all the pasta and ragu, and finish with a layer of béchamel sauce on top. Sprinkle the top with a generous layer of parmesan.
• Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins or until bubbling and golden brown, then remove from the oven and leave to settle for 10 mins.
• Cut the lasagne into squares and let it sit for another 10 mins before serving - this keeps the layers defined and helps it cool down more quickly.

BEST ITALIAN LASAGNA EVER!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Boil noodles and drain (you may also use uncooked noodles).
• Sauté garlic, sugar and salt.
• Add sausage and ground beef and brown, breaking into small crumbles.
• Add basil, pepper, tomatoes and paste; simmer 20-30 minutes until sauce thickens.
• Mix together in bowl, ricotta, egg and parsley (add milk if it's too thick).
• Layer sauce to cover bottom of pan, noodles 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 1/4 c of parmesan, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce and parmesan.
• Bake covered for 25 minutes.
• Uncover and bake another 25 minutes.
• Let cool about 10-15 minutes then cut and serve.
• Leftovers may be frozen and then heated in the oven until hot and melty.
• Goes great with crusty garlic toast and a salad.

ITALIAN GRINDER LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°; coat the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish evenly with olive oil.
• In a big bowl, combine ricotta cheese, basil, oregano, eggs, pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese; mix until the eggs are thoroughly combined.
• In a big pot of salted boiling water, cook the dried pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water; place it on a paper towel to dry before using it in the dish.
• Place 3/4 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish; top with a layer of lasagna noodles.
• Top noodles with 1/3 cup ricotta cheese mixture, spreading evenly over the noodles.
• Top with another layer of pasta; top pasta with half of the meats, layering them evenly.
• Top the meat with half of the provolone, and top this with half of the shredded mozzarella.
• Repeat with a layer pasta, then 3/4 cup sauce, then 1/3 cup ricotta cheese mixture.
• Top the ricotta cheese mixture with another layer of pasta, then the remainder of meats, provolone cheese, and mozzarella.
• Finish with a final layer of pasta, topped with the remainder of the tomato sauce and the remaining ricotta cheese mixture .
• Coat a large sheet of foil with oil and cover the baking pan with it, oil-side down.
• Bake for 30 minutes, covered.
• Remove foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is bubbly and the cheese begins to brown.
• Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.